He Will Be Loved

Our Kids

Six Months Later
Wally POV
We moved into a new apartment a few short weeks after the boys arrived. From what Dick and I could easily recognize, Bruce didn't even care that the boys were gone. Dick took up paying for the boys to go to school since Bruce stopped and I started pitching in on the boys school supplies and helped them with homework. Jason was seventeen and just started junior year, Tim is fifteen and is starting sophmore year, and Damian is thirteen starting freshmen year. It's December break this week and the boys have been spending a lot of time with me allowing us to bond a bit since Dick can't take that much time off. He does make sure to get home before dinner though. It's Christmas eve and Dick is supposed to be home already. When he finally got home about twenty minutes late, I called the boys to the running room for dinner. "Why were you late?" Damian asked as he ate. Dick just smiled, "Boss just wanted to talk to me about something important." "What was it?" Tim asked. I was curious as well. Dick smiled brightly, "Guess who doesn't have to work tomorrow?" "West doesn't have to work," Damian deadpanned. "Now neither do I," Dick said with a chuckle. The boys faces lit up instantly and everyone chatted about what we'd do tomorrow. We forced them to go to bed early tonight and they obliged. "So, what else happened?" I asked Dick. I knew he left s omethinf out at dinner. He sighed and sat on the couch. He rubbed his temples with his head in his hands and his elbows on his knees. "I have to go to court in two weeks," he said. "Cool, like a juror?" Wwally asked. "No Wally. Bruce showed up at the station and threatened me for the boys back. I refused so now I'm trapped in a custody battle," he said and looked up at me worriedly, "The things he did to them...I can't send them back." "Look, as soon as Christmas break is over and the boys are at school, we'll go find a lawyer," I said. "Alright, thanks," Dick said and hugged me tight.
No POV
"I knew something was wrong," Damian whispered to Jason and Tim as they listened from the hallway to their brother and his husband's conversation. "He's fighting for us," Tim said surprised, "I didn't think Dick would fight for us." Jason sighed and played the big brother, "Of course he'd fight for us. Dick promised to take care of us. He instantly took us in the second we asked. He started paying for school, feeding us, clothing us. He's been like a father to us the last six months. So has Wally." Tim and Damian nodded in agreement. "So how do we help," Jason asked walking into the living room. Dick turned around in surprise but smiled at his three boys, "You might have to testify." "We'll do it," Tim said. Wally smiled and chuckled, "For now get to sleep or Santa won't come." They rolled their eyes and went to bed.
The Next Morning
"Cmon," a boyish voice whispered. Suddenly Dick was jumped on in bed. Wally jolted awake as well as someone jumped on him. Tim and Damian has jumped into Dick's bed. Jason had sat on Dick's side beside his brother. Wally sat up after moving Tim off of him and made eye contact with Dick who burst into laughter. "You boys excited?" Dick asked after he stopped laughing. Tim shrugged with a sheepish smile, "Just a little bit." After everyone dragged themselves out of bed and into the living room they were surprised. Presents. "What's this?" Tim asked confused. "It's Christmas and Santa can't not get you anything," Dick said with a smile. Wally held back a chuckle as the boys rolled their eyes.
The whole time the boys were gawking over their gifts, Dick was thinking back. He had three amazing yet very different relationships with these boys...
FLASHBACKs Dick POV

"Dick Grayson?" A boy asked as he approached me. I stood up from my desk at the police station. I had just started working here. Why would the new 17 year old cop be so well known. "Uh...hi, I'm Timothy Drake. You can call me Tim though," The boy introduced himself. I smiled and shook the boy's hand, "Nice to meet you." "Can we talk outside? In private?" He asked. I gave a curious glance but obliged. This kid could be in trouble. Once outside and he made sure no one was around he said something that surprised me, "You're Nightwing, former Robin, and protege to Batman." "How did you..." I began but he interrupted, "You know Batman hasn't been doing so well lately. He needs help and everyone knows the last Robin died. He's become more brutal. It's scaring people in Gotham." "I don't know what to do about it," I confessed. "I want you to train me. I want to help him," Tim declared. I thought about it for a moment. If I can train him then I can make him better than me, better than Jason, and if I say no he might go off alone and get himself killed. "Alright," I said, "When do we start."

"Grayson, what do you want?" Damian glared at me. "Come with me, we're going out for ice cream," I said. "What?" He asked confusedly. "Ice cream is an amazing dessert," I said, "A milestone in every child's life." "Im not a child..." Damian began but I dragged him out of the Manor. We walked a mile down the road to the park where the usual ice cream man was stationed. "Mmmmmm," Damian said when he tried his cookies and cream ice cream. I wrapped on arm around his shoulders then slowly brought my other close to the bottom of the cone before giving it a small shove, getting ice cream all over his nose and mouth. "Dick!" He exclaimed.

"Please! Jay," I begged as my brother stood over an unconscious Joker. "He deserves to die!" Jason yelled at me and cocked the gun taking aim. "Please! I can't allow you to turn into a killer!" I exclaimed. "Why? You don't care! You didn't avenge me!" Jason screamed, "No one cared." "I care Jason but I care so much I will not turn into a killer like him. I will not let Joker know he got to me. I will show you I care by putting him behind prison and I did. Yeah, he breaks out but I am not a killer...and neither are you," I said slowly approaching him. He pulled the red helmet off his head and turned to me with tears running down his face. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him into my chest where the Nightwing symbol lay.

No POV
"Thank you," the boys chorused and jumped on Dick in a hug. "Of course," he said with a smile. The doorbell interrupted their moment. "Was your family supposed to come over?" Dick asked Wally in confusion. "No, but they might have sped over anyways. I'll go check," Wally said and got up. He sped to the door and opened it. "What the hell do you want?" Wally's voice echoed through the apaprtment. Dick stood up and walked to the door, telling the boys to stay there. "Bruce," Dick said calmly as he approached the door. "Where are my kids," Bruce snarled. "You don't have rights, I've been given rights until after the court case depending on the outcome," Dick explained calmly to his adoptive father. "They are my kids," Bruce snarled. Tim, Damian, and Jason kept around the corner. "No we aren't," Jason scowled at Bruce. Dick smiled as the boys came up and wrapped their arms around him and Wally. "They're Our Kids," Dick said with a smile before slamming the door.